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6 Answers

What are the benefits to become a Commercial Pilot if I’m just flying for fun?

Asked by: 5461 views FAA Regulations

I am PPL about to complete my Instruments rating. I'd like to experience advanced airplane like a multi engine turbo prop and also jets. If I'm flying just for fun sometime with family and friend but NOT FOR COMPNSTION AND HIRE do I need to get Commercial License or can I add multi engine to my Private Pilot.

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6 Answers



  1. Alex Clark on Sep 24, 2012

    From what I can remember, my commercial rating was the most easy and most fun… It is a sort-of super private. The manuevers are more interesting and the flying has tighter goals. Plus you do get to fly retract gear, constant speed props and so on..
    ..
    While it is true that you could do the same training without earning your commercial rating, the question then becomes, why not???
    It would be like swiming 90% of the way across the ocean and then turning back…

    It will only make you a better pilot,,, and any additional ratings will reduce you insurance rates. The advanced rating will also help your efforts to rent more advanced aircraft.

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  2. n on Sep 24, 2012

    No, you dont need one.

    It’s always odd when a hobby pilot gets his CPL, it’s like calling yourself Colonel at a bar and saying, no I’m not a real Colonel, just like the title.

    Just go get your high performance endorsement and multi add-on and have fun,

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  3. Bob Watson on Sep 25, 2012

    You can add categories and classes to your PPL, so that’s not a problem. At the same time, you need to go up and get signed off every two years for your flight review so one way to make that interesting is to add ratings. As Alex pointed out, the CPL isn’t a tough rating, as ratings go, but it does require more precision and mastery of the airplane than you need for a PPL. Whether you use that to impress people in a bar, is up to you, and there’s no reason you couldn’t learn lazy-8’s and 1080-degree turns without going for the checkride, but,as Alex said above, after all that, why not?

    So, adding the CPL can be fun AND it can make you a better pilot, even if you never fly for compensation or hire. But with the CPL (and a Class-II medical) you now have that option should you ever change your mind.

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  4. Earl Kessler on Sep 30, 2012

    You may decide to charge for your services sometime in the future. Getting it now makes that a possibility instead of waiting until you really need it.

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  5. Bill Trussell on Oct 01, 2012

    To answer the last part of your question about adding ME rating to your private certificate, you can certainly do that. However, I would point out that if you are close to meeting the requirements for your commercial certificate it is to your advantage to add the ME rating to a commercial certificate. It saves a check ride later on if you desire to have mulit engine commercial privileges at a later time. I usually recommend to students that they achieve their commercial certification first, then add the ME rating.

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  6. Micah on Oct 09, 2012

    I won’t go into detail on any one of these, but there are many reasons one could seek the commercial certificate, including at least these:

    1. Experience
    2. Training (proficiency and skill development)
    3. Accomplishment
    4. Insurance benefit (I presume this makes a difference)
    5. Future options

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